Former Michigan State EDGE Bai Jobe Chooses Kansas Jayhawks

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The Kansas Jayhawks landed their biggest commitment of the transfer portal season so far in former Michigan State defensive end Bai Jobe. Jobe, a high school four-star and four-star transfer prospect, had offers from Mississippi State, Oklahoma and other Power Four schools. He was the No. 1-overall ranked high school prospect in Oklahoma for the 2023 class and the No. 9 overall EDGE in the country.

About Bai Jobe

Jobe is 6-foot-4 and weighs in at 235 pounds. Originally from Senegal, Jobe moved to the United States in 2018 and played high school football at Community Christian School in Norman, Oklahoma.

He would choose the Michigan State Spartans over Alabama, Oklahoma and others, where he would play one year and register 2 tackles in one game played.

While his playing time might seem minuscule compared to some of the more experienced transfers, Jobe brings length, strength and speed to the Jayhawks. His raw talent was first introduced at the high school level, with Community Christian coach Mat McIntosh stating “We lined him up at defensive end and told him just chase the ball.”

He even returned kicks for his high school team, showing off just how versatile of an athlete he is. His muscular build, naturally solid hand and feet techniques, ability to block shed and overall instinct were shown in stride throughout his high school career going into college. With some further development, he could be one of the better defensive linemen in the country. You can read more on his potential on his 247sports page.

His raw talent alone put him on recruiting radars across the nation, becoming a highly sought-after recruit. With the Spartans, Jobe got some development in football IQ and further skill development under former NFL player and well-seasoned defensive line coach Diron Reynolds, who is now with Arizona State. The big changes brought upon by Michigan State prompted Jobe to transfer, where he will find a new home with Jayhawks defensive line coach Jim Panagos, who also has quite a bit of experience under his belt and will help Jobe develop into the player he can be given his ceiling.

Jobe’s Impact on the Jayhawks

Jobe brings depth and youth to a Jayhawk defensive line that lacked both, especially after the question marks placed on the availability of Dylan Brooks, a projected starter. As of now, the starting defensive ends are senior Jereme  Robinson and Youngstown State transfer Dylan Wudke, with the depth behind the two being thinner than the other positions for the Jayhawks.

Jobe provides a depth piece that could easily see action, but the more important piece of Jobe’s commitment lies in his youth. Jobe still has four years of eligibility remaining, and with the amount of development that can still be done for Jobe’s game, Panagos has a moldable piece that can be developed into a force along the defensive line with the amount of raw talent Jobe has.

Top that with plenty of other young pieces to this defensive line group like Deshaun Warner, Dak Brinkley and others, and this defensive line group for the Jayhawks has a ton of promise and potential. Seeing how Panagos developed former Jayhawks Austin Booker and Gage Keys, along with the promising showings that have been seen by the current group of starters, this is a perfect spot for Jobe to unleash his full potential.

Jobe Provides Ability, Depth

Jobe provides youth, ability and depth to a Jayhawks position group that needed all three. With the loss of Booker, Keys and others as well as the potential loss of Brooks, Jobe could see action early as a rotational piece along with Warner and Brinkley. With further development though, these three players are the future of the Jayhawks’ defensive success. Panagos is the guy that will see to their success and is the right guy for the job, which is one of the main reasons Jobe chose Kansas.

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“Man, I like the culture, the coaching staff was good, they were real with me and I really like their scheme," Jobe said in an interview post-commitment with On3's Steve Wiltfong. "The last three portal guys are in the NFL, Austin Booker getting drafted makes a big difference.”

 Follow Jobe’s career along with other Kansas Jayhawks news here at College Football Dawgs.